5-acre brush fire spreads to Moreno Valley homes after police chase ends in crash

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Residents of a Moreno Valley neighborhood were forced to evacuate their homes after a sheriff's chase ended in a crash, igniting a 5-acre brush fire that quickly spread to some homes.

The Riverside County's Sheriff's Department said in a tweet that deputies detained two people following the chase of a stolen vehicle around 4 p.m. Thursday.

The chase ended when a patrol car followed the vehicle through a fence and into a field behind the homes near the intersection of Phyllis and Bay avenues.

The suspects exited the vehicle and attempted to get away and the deputies followed, according to Deputy Robyn Flores.

The fire was sparked sometime during the incident, scorching two homes, three shed-type structures and nine vehicles, fire officials said. Two of the vehicles belonged to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Dozens of homes were evacuated as Cal Fire Riverside firefighters worked to put out the flames.

There were no injuries reported.

Those evacuated were being directed to Towngate Elementary School.